The Bond We Share
by ANIMElove737
Summary: "We will meet again soon enough, my beloved. I promise." Those were the last words InuYasha had heard from his mother before she disappeared from his life forever. Kagome believes that history often has a way of repeating itself
1. Chapter 1

Smoke.

That was all he could smell at the moment as he awoke late in the night. In a daze and drowsy, he rubbed his eyes of sleep and rolled out of bed. Being the innocent and naive child that he was, he had no idea the severity of what was going on outside the walls of his bedroom as he searched his small room for his slippers. The screams of the village women went unnoticed by him as he yawned and walked over to his door. Before he could so much as grasp the handle, however, it came bursting open with so much force, he thought it would fly off the hinges.

There, in the doorway, stood his mother. Tears streaked her face as she hurriedly ran to him, picking him up in her arms and hugging him close. "Oh, thank goodness, my son! You're still alive!" she cried into his brilliant silver hair. He looked upon her with hazy amber eyes, a question evident in the cognac pools.

"Mama? What's going on? Why are you crying?" He reached a small hand up and wiped the tears from his mother's eyes, then patted her cheek. "Mama, tell me what's wrong."

His mother shook her head, placing a hand over her mouth to muffle her sob. "I cannot, my dear boy. All I must tell you is that you must leave here immediately. Myouga and Kaede will be here any moment to take you to safety..." she trailed off, looking expectantly at the doorway, which burned a fierce orange from whatever was going on outside.

The boy suddenly turned urgent, a trait he picked up from his father, and pulled on his mother's dress. "But, Mama—" He was quite suddenly cut off as the windows on the far wall of his bedroom shattered, and his mother's scream drowned out the loud beating of his own heart as two tall men stood before them, each with a sword in one hand and a scythe in the other.

"Hand over the boy!" the one on the right said. His voice was gruff and unpleasant, much like the way he looked. The man standing beside him nodded, spitting on the floor.

He didn't like this one bit, but before he could blatantly state his distaste toward the two men, he felt his mother shift from behind him. In a flash, she threw herself in front of him, on her hands and knees and shaking. "Please, do not take him! Take me in his place!"

Both men laughed, and the one on the left grabbed his mother's hair and yanked it so she was face-to-face with him. "Oh, we plan to 'take you', all right. In more ways than one." They both laughed, and the boy shivered at the sound. "But first, we gotta get rid of the runt."

The smell of smoke was more prominent now, and he scrunched his nose at the terrible stench. "Get offa my mama!" he shouted, running toward the men with his fists clenched. Managing to head-butt one of them in the stomach, he whirled at the other whom was holding his mother captive. Before he could so much as make contact, though, his mother pushed him back, whipping out a small dagger she had stored in her garter and stabbing the man through the hand with it. He yowled in pain, letting go of her and allowing the two enough time to escape with their lives.

They flew down the corridors of the large house, the boy in his mother's arms, and as they passed by windows, he saw fire. A lot of fire.

"M-Mama!" he cried as they bounded out of the house and into the night. Flames danced across his mother's pale skin as she ran faster still, and tears slipped down her face. "Mama, what's going on?"

"Hush, my love," she whispered in his ear, pulling him tighter to her. He felt her slow down, and looked up to see Mr. Myouga and Mrs. Kaede standing at the edge of all the mayhem, sacs in each of their hands and frowns on their faces. "Thank goodness I found you! Take him!" his mother shouted, all but throwing the boy in Mrs. Kaede's arms.

He flailed, wanting to be back with his mother. "No, Mama!" he screamed, but she silenced him with a kiss to his forehead.

"We will meet again soon enough, my beloved. I promise." She kissed him once more, this time on the lips, and turned and ran as fast as she could before he could yank her back.

A strangled sob escaped his mouth as his mother ran back into the fire and chaos. He clutched onto Mrs. Kaede's dress as she carried him away from the castle grounds.

"My Lord, please do not weep. Ye are safe now," she kept whispering, petting his head as if he were a dog. He shook his head dramatically, wiping his nose on her sleeve.

"B-but...Mama..."

"...will be fine," Mr. Myouga cut in, but he did not sound convincing.

All he could hear as he drifted off into a much-needed sleep was the sound of a woman's scream from a long distance away.

**000**

InuYasha jolted, eyes snapping open and body springing from the bed as he awoke. Wide, amber eyes scanned his room, as if he had never seen it before, and a shaky hand rose to comb through sweaty, silver bangs. Sighing with relief when realizing it was just a dream, he slumped back down in his bed, shaking his head and dabbing the perspiration that had accumulated around his forehead.

Those dreams had been occurring more and more frequently lately, and they were always the same; flashbacks of the night he had last seen his mother were a common occurrence to him now.

"Lord InuYasha?" a low, gruff voice asked from behind his closed door. Groaning, he rolled out of his bed and scrambled to find a shirt.

"You may enter, Lady Kaede," he stated softly, opening his curtains to shed some light into the dark room. The old woman opened the door without hesitation, not noticing nor caring that the man standing before her was half naked.

"Honestly, InuYasha, ye must try to wake up earlier, or ye will be sleeping your life away," she scolded, not even bothering with using his formal title as she folded a pair of pants that had lain strewn across his floor from the day before.

Bowing his head, he bit his tongue to refrain from using a snide comeback. This woman had been good to him, so he should be grateful for every reprimanding statement she threw his way. "I apologize, Lady Kaede." Sighing, he sat back down on his bed, giving up in his attempts to find a shirt to throw on.

Kaede's brow rose, surprised that the young Lord had caved so easily. "Is something the matter, my Lord?" InuYasha did not answer her, opting instead for resting his elbows on his knees and burying his head in his hands. She sighed, knowing very well the problem now. "May haps it be that ye had another nightmare about your mother?" A simple nod told her all she needed to know. "Ah...and this one was worse than the others, was it not?" Another nod. Kaede sighed, walking over and patting the young man on the back. "Ye must learn to forget, my Lord, for if not, the memories will soon be the death of ye." She grasped under his chin, raising his face so he could look her in the eyes. "Your mother would not want ye to dwell on the past. Nor would your father." Amber clashed with brown for a long moment before he averted his gaze.

"Thank you, Lady Kaede. I appreciate the pep talk." Smiling to show her he was all right, he stood and set to getting himself ready for the day. "My men spoke word of a town not too far from here that is known for harboring criminals and thieves," he said as he washed his face and body with the fresh water Kaede had placed in his bathroom. "We might be able to apprehend the men who stool a good fortune from us just last week." He was referring to the thievery that had taken place in his village not but a few days earlier, where the men had stolen a few cows, some chickens, and plenty of gold from the few farmhouses the resided on the outskirts of town. The people had pleaded with him to get their belongings back, and he was one to never disappoint his loyal followers.

Mrs. Kaede shook her head, helping him into his tunic. "Aye, my Lord, if ye are not careful, ye will drive yourself to an early grave."

Rolling his eyes at her, he combed through his waist-length, silver hair and laughed. "If that is your way of telling me to be careful, then I assure you, I will." She shook her head once more, waving his remark off like a pesky mosquito.

"As always, my Lord, I expect ye to be safe. Take it easy on the pillage today; who knows, ye might even find a young lady to bring home with ye on the way back." InuYasha groaned at her comment.

"Why must you always bring that up? It is always that same thing: 'Be careful! Oh! And bring back a wife, as well!' Honestly, it's so irritating," he grumbled, walking past her on his way out the door.

Kaede, however, was not going to let him leave until he heard her rebuttal. "It is no laughing matter, Lord InuYasha. Ye are flirting with the age of twenty-five, which puts ye at the proper marrying age! Your mother, may she rest in peace, would want ye to settle down and marry rather than risking your life on dangerous missions all of the time!" Another groan was heard from the hallway as he ran away from her. She laughed, shaking her head. "He hasn't changed a bit since way back then..." Sadness overcame her, and she sat on his bed, folding, then refolding his pants. "Oh, Lady Izayoi...if only ye were here to watch him grow into the perfect young man we always knew he would be..." Tears streaked down her face in remembrance of her master's mother. "Ye would be so proud..." More tears formed, but she brushed them away with the back of her hand. She would not be held down by the passing of her Lady or the passing of her Lord. She mustn't give InuYasha any more of a reason to feel upset.

Sighing, she set to cleaning his disheveled room. "What a fine young gentleman he is..." she mused aloud. He was her rock, the one who kept her—and everyone else—sane in these trying times. Although he didn't know it yet, he was the one person that anyone, _anyone_ could count on. There was not a doubt in her mind about that.


	2. Chapter 2

"InuYasha!" came Kikyou's wanton shout from across the palace courtyard. InuYasha flinched at the sound. '_Ah, crud, she noticed me..._' he thought, straightening up as the woman approached him. "InuYasha...were you trying to sneak away from me?" she asked, her hard, brown eyes questioning.

'_Yes...yes I was..._' he thought sourly, but refrained from saying it aloud. It was no secret that the head chef's daughter, Kikyou, was deeply in love with the Lord of the castle. Unfortunately, it was a case of _unrequited_ love, seeing as InuYasha wanted nothing to do with the girl. She had been trying to get in his pants since the moment she moved into his household almost ten years ago. '_You'd think she'd get bored of chasing after me..._' "Hello, Lady Kikyou. And how are you on this lovely autumn morning?" he asked, avoiding her previously asked question.

She stared at him skeptically for a moment, obviously noticing his sudden avoidance of her query, but shook it off and smiled at him. "I'm fine. And you, my Lord?"

"Kikyou, we've been over this; just call me InuYasha. Or even Yasha is fine. 'My Lord' is too formal." The woman before him nodded enthusiastically, and he had a feeling he was being too nice. It was time to make his escape. "I'm rather pleasant today, Kikyou, but if you don't mind, I've got a thief to pursue." He bowed respectfully, then walked past her. He didn't get very far until he felt her grab onto the sleeve of his tunic.

"Will you be back soon?" Her eyes sparkled despite the slightly depressed look in her eyes.

Not wanting to see her unhappy, he grasped her hand gently and looked into her eyes. "Of course, Kikyou. I'll see you then, okay?" She nodded, seemingly in a trance from getting caught staring into his eyes for too long. Kissing her hand softly and letting it drop, he quickly walked away before she could grab onto him again.

Once he was successfully and safely outside the palace, he sighed, then took a deep breath in. Fall was his favorite season by far. The brisk, chilly weather was just the right temperature for his active self, and the way the trees looked as they changed color was absolutely breathtaking. Occasionally they'd get snow, but there were never any blizzards that would keep them locked in their houses for days on end.

Walking toward the stables, he smiled as a bunch of laughing children ran past him, playing a rousing game of tag. One of the youngsters tripped at his feet, looking up at him with a flushed countenance. Giggling, she ran behind him and grasped at the backs of his legs, hiding from the others that were searching for her. He looked down at her, and she placed her index finger over her lips and 'shh'-ed him. He nodded, smiling, and continued to walk toward the stables with her directly behind him. Whistling as he walked, he laughed at the way she had to run to keep up with him, and he decided to slow his pace so she could catch her breath.

Once he arrived at the stables, he turned around and knelt on one knee to look her in the face. "And what's your name, sweetheart?"

The girl giggled as he curled a piece of hair behind her ear, then reached out and touched his nose. "Teagan, my Lord," she said, smiling.

InuYasha smiled as well, brushing off her knees, which were caked with dirt. "And how old are you, Teagan?" She held up five fingers, waving them in his face. He smiled once more, and picked her up into his arms. "I think your friends are worried about you, Teagan. You should go tell them where you've been."

She nodded enthusiastically and gave him a hug. "Okay, my Lord!" she laughed, nuzzling his neck. Laughing lightly, he plucked a rose from a bush just outside the horse stables and gave it to her. She squealed, then gave him a big, sloppy kiss on the lips. "Thank you, my Lord!" Once he put her down, she ran off toward where her friends were, laughing and shouting gleefully about her newest prize.

Shaking his head, InuYasha laughed a little louder now. He loved children, and that girl was simply adorable! Momentarily forgetting his little admirer, he turned to his horse, Kirara, and ran a hand down her snout. "Up for a little trip to the neighboring village, girl?" The horse whinnied, nuzzling his hand. He smirked. "All right, then. I'll take that as a yes." With speed and grace not normally executed by a regular man, he pulled himself onto the saddle that rested on his horse's back. Pressing his heel into her side, she whinnied once more and galloped out of the stables.

InuYasha looked out. Already his men had assembled. There weren't many of them, but they could definitely tear a town apart if need be. Consisting of himself, his best friend Miroku, his other friend Kouga, Kouga's twin brother Bankotsu, and his step-brother Sesshomaru (whom had been living at the current palace since he was born), InuYasha's small 'army' could ransack an entire village in less than twenty minutes.

With Miroku's brains, Kouga's brute strength, Bankotsu's precision, Sesshomaru's experience and InuYasha's lead, they could accomplish anything.

"All right, men! Who's ready to take back what's ours?" InuYasha shouted, and his small army of men shouted back that they were all ready. "Well okay then, let's go!" With their leader's orders, the men rode out of the village in high spirits, ready to fight.

**000**

It didn't take long for them to reach the village of Higurashi, so instead of stopping to rest up for their infiltration, they chose instead to be direct and enter the village with their heads held high.

The gates opened immediately once the person at the watch tower identified the men as those from the village of Shikon. Upon entering, they were greeted with cold shoulders from most of the men, but the women seemed to flock to them like moths to a flame.

"It is good to see you again, my Lord," one woman said, bowing before InuYasha and his brother. She smiled at Sesshomaru, but the man's countenance did not change. Many more women and children came to chat with them, but InuYasha was only half-interested. He had a feeling he knew why the men in the village were tip-toeing around them.

"It's nice to see you all again, but I'm afraid this visit is not going to be a pleasant one." And, just like that, it seemed twenty pairs of worried eyes were on him. The women and children still did not know what was going on, and they shot confused glances at their husbands and fathers, but the men simply continued to stare in horror at the silver-haired young man up high on his horse. "Return to us the goods you have stolen, and your punishment will be short and sweet." Still, not a word was spoken. He noticed now, though, that the females surrounding him were taking steps backwards, pulling their offspring with them. Sighing as nearly five minutes passed by without anybody doing anything, InuYasha shook his head. "Very well...it's a shame you had to waste your lives on something as trivial as this." He rose his hand, and with a wave of his palm, his men attacked, swords unleashed and horses galloping through the village in search of the stolen belongings.

The women screamed; oh, how InuYasha hated that sound. He had made it very clear to his men that if they so much as harmed a woman or child in their raid, he would have them hung from the highest part of his mansion by their toes. No arguments were made.

"Check everywhere! Leave no stone unturned! Kill any man that should get in your way!" he commanded, rounding up the women and children into a circle in the middle of the town's square. Some of the little ones were crying, and he'd make sure to comfort each and every one of them later, but first he needed to take back what was rightfully his peoples'.

Blood was shed as men foolishly jumped in the way of the horses, and small brush fires were started from all of the commotion. Blinking, InuYasha tried to repress the images flashing through his brain of the night his village was attacked. Shaking away the sudden thoughts, he waited patiently for his men to finish their search. With their combined effort, they were able to find the stolen items that had been hidden in the town, and most of the women who were denying the thievery earlier cried out in a mixture of surprise and shame.

'_Poor girls...it's such a shame that they had to find out this way that their husbands are lying scoundrels_,' he thought, looking down upon the saddened faces of the remaining villagers. Almost all of the men in the village were dead, so only women and children were left. InuYasha would make sure that they each had a nice place to stay in his village, where they would be safe.

The eldest woman of them all stood, shaking her head in disappointment and embarrassment. "I apologize greatly, my Lord. I...I had no idea..."

"That's quite all right, my Lady. I will be sure to give you each a home in my village if that is what you desire." The woman nodded, mouthing a silent 'bless you' to him, and he smiled warmly.

Then, he caught sight of an angel; the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was a vision with long, silky black hair that went down to her rear and mesmerizing cobalt eyes. Her peach-colored skin was smooth and unblemished, and her body held the most enticing curves he had ever seen, the dress and corset she was wearing leaving nothing to the imagination. If he hadn't had a good grip on his reigns, he would have fallen head-first at her feet.

Currently, the angelic woman was cradling a baby in her arms, which made InuYasha depressed for some unknown reason. Was it because he was sad that she had conceived a child with another man? He perked up immediately, however, when she handed the child off to another woman, whom he heard thank her for taking care of her son in the chaos. '_So she's unattached..._' he mused mentally as she knelt down on one knee in front of another small child. This little one looked to be about four or five, and by the way he was sucking his thumb, InuYasha could tell he had just woken up from a nap.

"Are you still a little sleepy, Shippou?" the angel asked, and her sweet voice gave him butterflies in the stomach. She gave him an Eskimo kiss, and the little boy laughed, pulling at her forelocks.

"No, K'gome! I's fine!" He looked around at his empty village, his visage contorted into a look akin to confusion. "K'gome? Where's ma papa?"

A pang of guilt ran through InuYasha at the little tyke's question, and he cleared his throat to get both the attention of the boy and the woman. They both looked up at him, and InuYasha's heart broke in two at the look of pure sadness on the woman's face. Tears brimmed her eyes, but she hid them behind her bangs before they threatened to spill over. Smiling warmly at the boy, he held his hand out. The woman, who's name was obviously Kagome, looked at the extended hand for a moment. Then, a ghost of a smile flashed across her face as she grabbed young Shippou's hand and led it into InuYasha's.

Little Shippou still looked confused, but laughed as InuYasha pulled him up and onto the horse. "Hello, Shippou. My name is InuYasha. Have you ever ridden a horse before?"

The boy shook his head. "No. I wanna, though!" He giggled, then buried his face in Kirara's mane. "She's pretty..."

"Yes, she is. And she likes it when you scratch her behind the ears." Shippou's eyes widened, and he reached his chubby little hand up to rub the spot between Kirara's pointed ears. The horse seemed to almost purr, and Shippou laughed again. Smiling, InuYasha turned his attention back to Kagome, who was now standing and looking at the horse with fascination. She reached out and ran her hand along Kirara's back, slowly and sweetly. The horse made another sound of pleasure, and InuYasha swelled with happiness.

Extending his hand once more, he waited for the woman to accept. She looked at his hand with sudden interest, then up into his eyes. Blue melted into amber, and time stopped. The faint smile from earlier crossed her face again, and she accepted his hand without a second thought.

"Thank you," she stated softly, taking a seat in between him and Shippou.

"You're welcome. It's going to be a rather long ride back, so why don't you try to get some sleep. You look like you could use it." He smiled warmly, reaching his arms around her to grab hold of the reigns.

Kagome shook her head. "I'm fine, thank you." He felt her shaking, and held her closer, hoping it would calm her down.

"Very well. We're off, then." InuYasha made sure Shippou was securely in Kagome's lap before snapping the reigns. Kagome, sitting side-saddle, fiddled with Shippou's fiery red hair for a little while before relaxing into InuYasha's strong body, falling asleep against her own will.


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, I was finally able to get this chapter published. One of my friends (who has a very unhealthy obsession with this story) all but forced me to sit down and write this chapter; she threatened me with the old "foot-up-the-ass" consequence. I'd like to keep my ass clear of footage, so here's Chapter Three of _The Bond We Share_. Sorry if Yasha seems a tad bit OOC; it just seems to work better with this story.**

**Standard Disclaimers Apply**

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When she awoke, Kagome found herself in a room which was not her own. Startled, she shot up, confused as to where she was and how she had ended up there. Looking around, she noticed the room was much more regal than anything she had ever seen or been in. Red curtains with golden trim hung heavily over the windows, tiny glass beads fringing off of the ends. The rest of the room consisted of those same colors, though it was a wonder she could see it all in the dark. Luckily, so as she wouldn't trip and fall if she were to get out of bed, a fire was lit in the hearth at the far end of the room. That's when she noticed that there was someone lying on the couch placed in front of the fire.

Her curiosity peaked, and she pulled the covers back and walked over to the shadowed figure to discover the person's identity. What she saw astonished her. There lay the man from earlier, the one who ransacked her village and killed all the men. He was fast asleep, lightly muscled chest rising and falling with his breathing. He had no shirt on, and the blanket he had been using was strewn to the side. Smiling, she brushed a strand of sterling hair out of his face and fixed his blanket. He had shown her kindness today, a kindness she had not been shown in a while, and she was grateful to him for that. This man—he said his name was InuYasha, correct?—looked so serene when he slept, yet his eyes had held a certain sadness earlier on in the day when she first saw him. He almost looked like...he was trying to repress a terrible memory.

A yelp brought her out of her thoughts, and she looked down upon InuYasha to find him writhing and panting. Tears streamed down his face, and a sob left his perfect mouth. Now officially scared she had done something wrong, Kagome reached out for him. "InuYasha? Lord InuYasha? Are you all right? Did I hurt you or something?" she tried, but he did not answer. Then, it dawned on her. '_He's still asleep!_' she thought in shock, wincing as another cry escaped his open lips. Thinking quickly and none-too-hesitantly, she pushed herself up and sat on the couch, resting his head on her lap and smoothing her hands through his hair. "Hush, my Lord. You are fine. It was only a dream," she soothed, running her fingernails through his sterling locks and wiping the tears from his eyes.

She had seen her mother do such a thing to her father before when he had nightmares about the war, and she thought it would be a good time to test to see if it actually worked in calming a person down. Plus, she figured she owed this man a good turn for sparing her life and the lives of the women and children in her otherwise ungrateful village.

In a mere matter of moments, InuYasha had relaxed greatly, and he slowly opened his eyes to meet the slightly worried gaze of a young woman. Surprised at waking up in a woman's arms, he blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision of sleep. "K-Kagome?" he questioned sleepily, hoping he had remembered her name correctly.

The woman nodded, smiling down at him and brushing her fingers through his bangs. "You had a nightmare, and I wanted to make sure you were okay." He looked confused, and that made her internally giggle. "Are you all right now, my Lord?"

Shaking his head of sleep, InuYasha lifted his head from her lap, propping himself on his elbows and looking around the room. He must have fallen asleep on the couch after tending to Kagome. "I'm fine. And please, Miss Kagome, just call me InuYasha." Kagome nodded, then brought his head back down onto her lap.

"You must rest, InuYasha. You have a busy day of showing me around the village to look forward to tomorrow," she said, running her fingers through his hair once more. His countenance held a look akin to surprise at her brazenness. She didn't feel the least bit awkward about staying in the same room with the man who stole her from her village? "You look troubled, my Lord—I mean, InuYasha." She blushed at her slip-up. "Is something the matter?"

He lazily shook his head, breathing in her sweet smell and snuggling further into her lap. "It's nothing. I just...am shocked that you would treat me with such kindness—"

"Why ever would I not, InuYasha?" Her innocent blue eyes connected with his burnt honey ones, and, once more, time ceased to exist. What was going on? This woman was having the strangest affect on him. The confused look on his face did not falter, and she sighed. "I do not blame you for what happened today. The men in my village are all idiots, and they stole from you. It was only right for you to take back what was rightfully yours. I am...thankful...that you did not kill me, or kill needlessly, for that matter. It was all a mere accident of sorts." She smiled down at him, and he smiled back.

"You are a very forgiving person, my Lady," he said, bringing her hand to his mouth and kissing it. She blushed, and his eyes sparkled. She looked very adorable when she was embarrassed. "Good night, Kagome," he yawned, rolling on his side and cuddling her lap.

She giggled softly, combing his hair behind his ear. "Sweet dreams...InuYasha. Have a good sleep, if only for the night."

**000**

Morning came all too quickly, and when Kagome finally woke up, she was surprised to find herself under a blanket and snuggled up against a warm chest. Glancing upward, she caught sight of hair the color of starlight and knew immediately who it was. '_InuYasha!_' She must have switched positions in the middle of the night, and now his arms were wrapped around her tightly and her head was resting in the crook of his neck. Smiling at the gentle circles he was drawing on her back with his fingers, she nuzzled him to try and wake him up. He groaned and shifted, but did not wake. Giggling, she closed her eyes, trying to remember the last time a man had held her like this. It had happened very few times with her late husband, Houjo, but she had never felt as comfortable as she did at the moment.

"Oh, InuYasha," she sighed out, bringing her arms up to wrap around his waist.

The serene moment was ruined, however, when the door came slamming open with a loud sound resembling that of a gunshot. Kagome squeaked, jumping up and out of InuYasha's arms. Unfortunately, as luck would have it, she miscalculated her own strength, and ended up falling off of the couch and onto her rump. In the midst of this, InuYasha had also awoken, yelping as the wind was knocked out of him by Kagome accidentally elbowing him in the stomach.

The entire time that this was going on, Kaede stood in the doorway, a shocked and slightly confused look on her face. When she had left the room last night, Miss Kagome was in InuYasha's bed and InuYasha was on the couch. Now, both of them were tangled around each other on the floor. '_Must have been an interesting night_,' she concluded with a smile, walking over to InuYasha's bed and stripping it of its covers. "If ye wouldn't mind, may this old woman ask how ye two slept last night?" She hummed as she worked, trying to pretend like she didn't know what was going on.

InuYasha cleared his throat, standing from his newly-acquired position on the floor and holding out his hand to help Kagome up as well. "Kaede, have you ever considered knocking before entering?" he asked grumpily, and Kagome tried to hide a giggle. What a quick wit and sharp tongue this young man had.

Kaede shrugged, keeping herself busy with filling his bathing basin with water. "I have considered it, my Lord, but it is more fun to catch ye off guard." She smiled sweetly, kissing him on the cheek before leaving his room without another word. He growled, then shook his head and turned to Kagome.

"You okay? I didn't do any harm to you by landing on you, did I?" Kagome shook her head, eying his half-naked body with a slight hunger in her eyes.

"I'm fine, InuYasha. What about you? Did I hurt you?" She grazed her hand over his six-pack where her elbow had connected, and as a result, his muscles tightened under her touch. Smirking wildly, she sighed when he shook his head as an answer to her question. "Very well. I'm going to get changed now." His eyes widened, and it was then that he realized she was wearing no more than a thin, white nightgown. Gulping, he tried to avert his gaze from her slightly exposed cleavage, choosing instead to stare in awe at her beautiful, wavy hair. It was so long and soft-looking! "Are you all right, Master InuYasha?"

'_Master? That's a new one. I like the sound of it, though, so I'll let it be for now_,' he thought mischievously. "I'm quite all right, Lady Kagome. Go and get dressed while I tidy up a bit." The woman nodded, walking over to his bathing quarters. She stopped and stood ramrod straight, however, when realizing the only thing covering the entryway was a thin sheet.

Blushing, she tried to control herself. Turning around sharply, she was met with a smug-looking InuYasha. He had his arms crossed over his broad chest, thick eyebrows lifted as if to say 'go ahead'. She turned even redder than before, biting her lip to keep it from trembling. "If you so much as think about peeking at me, I will cut off what makes you anatomically correct and feed it to you for supper. Understood?" The threat sounded empty, and she could tell by the way that his expression did not change that she wasn't sounding sincere. Instead of trying to correct herself, however, she chose to let out another crisp sigh and turn her back to him. If she looked at him any longer, she would be forced to break down entirely and say, 'hey, you can peep at me all you want, handsome man'.

InuYasha chuckled. What a fiery attitude this woman had; she was definitely going to be an interesting one, he decided. And it made him all the happier that she was beside herself about a simple comment. Sniffing the air, he smirked. Even from where he was standing in the room, he could smell her. She was practically calling out to him, practically begging him to join her in the bathroom! "I understand, Lady Kagome. I'll wait out here if that's what you want."

'_Oh, why did he have to say that so...smoothly?_' she mentally asked, noticing how the words were no more than growled out. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't attracted to this god of a man. After all, with his Adonis-like physique and his drop-dead gorgeous appearance, he was a perfect catch. Not to mention his personality borderlined perfection...if wanting him was a sin, then just call her the devil!

"That is what I want," she finally got out, her throat dry and scratchy. She could hear him moving behind her, and by the rustling of the cloth, she suspected that he was changing his trousers as she was speaking. All she would have to do was turn around and...

"Very well," he said softly, cutting off her train of thought and taking her by surprise. He sounded much closer than he had been just a few minutes ago. "But, may I remind you, Miss Kagome, that in order to take a bath, one must first enter the bathroom." She all but felt his smirk as she felt him lightly tap her on the bottom, giving her the push she needed to enter the bathing quarters fully. Bringing the curtain down over the doorway, she sighed dreamily.

'_Since when have I become such a romantic?_' she thought, soaking a cloth inside the wash basin and dabbing it around her face. '_And...since when have I let anyone beat me at my own game of seduction?_' That thought set the wheels in motion, and she had a devious idea of how to get him back for taking her breath away.

**Smexxi, no? Sorry to cut you off at a strange place, but this chapter simply needed to end. I accept flame reviews, but I'll have you know that if they get too out of control, I have highly-trained assassins on speed dial that specialize in maiming flame-givers. That being said, I bid you all adieu! Please review, or I write no more!**

**PS: Expect the next chapter to be posted sometime during or after Christmas break! Ciao!**

**NEXT CHAPTER: Things heat up between Kagome and InuYasha. Can the young Lord control himself when things get out of hand?**


	4. Chapter 4

**It's been too long! Seriously, this chapter has been on my computer for a while, I just never got around to editing it...*sheepishly looks away*. And I'm sorry about that! Anywho, you know the drill, please read and review! Warning: SLIGHT sexual content in this chappie, folks! Also, InuYasha is kinda out of character...actually, he's REALLY outta character! Makes for a better story, if you ask me :)**

**STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY  
**

**DO NOT COPY OR REDISTRIBUTE WITHOUT AUTHOR'S CONSENT! **

InuYasha watched the curtain fall, a brilliant smirk playing on his handsome face. '_Hook, line, and sinker_,' he thought proudly, crossing his arms and leaning against his bed post. Her shadow was just slightly visible through the thin curtain that hung between his room and his bathing quarters, and he watched as she shifted around inside the other room.

It wasn't until she removed her petticoat that he suddenly blushed, but his golden eyes never left her form. When she turned her back to him, he noticed that she had the hourglass figure of a goddess, her shadow leaving nothing to the imagination. Her silhouette was delicate with banging curves that he'd need a road map for, and he was losing the resolve to stay rooted to where he was.

When he heard a sudden shriek, however, he jumped, automatically switching from pervert-mode to hero-mode in the blink of an eye. The scream had come from within his bathing facilities, so that meant that Kagome was in trouble, and he would not pass up an opportunity to be her savior. Barging into the bathroom, he noticed two things:

One: Kagome was stark naked and

Two: She was standing on top of the bathing basin with a terrified expression playing on her beautiful face.

Swallowing down the urge to take her right then and there, he disconnected his gaze from her wet body and began frantically searching the bathroom for nothing in particular. "What happened, Kagome? Are you hurt? Do you need my assistance in any way?" he asked, concern practically leaking from every pore. The woman shook her head, her damp locks clinging to the smooth skin around her waist. InuYasha bit his lip so hard it bled.

"I'm fine, InuYasha, but I think I saw a mouse run by and it petrified me a small bit," Kagome whispered, clutching her clothes to her chest. "Do you think that maybe...you could carry me out of here?" '_...as payback for earlier..._' She fought back the devilish smirk threatening to form on her face.

InuYasha was taken aback by her question, and he had to swallow twice as hard now to keep his voice from cracking. "W-why do you want me to carry you out?"

Kagome's eyes glinted deviously, but she had to stay in character in order for this to work. "Because I'm terrified of mice and I don't think I'd be able to walk if it is still crawling around on the floor." Of course, there was no mouse, but her God would have to forgive her for the small lie. She had to try _something _to make him squirm. "Please, Master InuYasha?" If calling him 'Master' didn't do the trick...

Sighing, InuYasha nodded. "Yes...of course, my Lady." He nodded once more, and in one swift move, he grasped onto her and swung her into his arms as if she weighed two pounds. Gasping and swathing her arms around his neck for security, she momentarily forgot about the clothes that were covering her anatomy, giving him a pretty nice view of the soft flesh of her breast and a tawny areola. Resisting his primal urges was becoming quite a hassle. "Do you think you can stand, Kagome?" They were standing by his bed now, her still securely wrapped in his arms, and he died a slow internal death when she shook her head.

"I would feel much better if I were to lie down a while," she stated, and he complied to her wish, lowering her down onto the bed. Smiling, she decided she would kill two birds with one stone by quenching both of their desires while still torturing him. Bringing a shapely leg out from under her, she locked it tightly behind his knees, causing him to fall forward on top of her, his face resting in the valley between her breasts, and her legs subconsciously rose to wrap around his hips. InuYasha went rigid. The situation was made much worse—or better, depending on who's point of view it was coming from—because of the fact that he wasn't wearing anything more than a pair of loose trousers. "Is there something wrong, InuYasha. Your entire body is burning up." Kagome could almost feel the sweat forming on his body, and, truth be told, she was becoming very hot herself.

Clearing his throat, InuYasha rose onto his forearms, face tinted pink with a mixture of embarrassment and lust. "Um...K-Kagome...could you relinquish your hold on my lower body, please? It's becoming a bit uncomfortable," he managed to get out, but Kagome shook her head.

"From the feel of it, I think it's anything but uncomfortable, Master InuYasha." She ground into his lower half for emphasis, and he groaned.

"You're playing with fire, woman, and if you continue to move like that, I consider it a request to get burned," he growled, grabbing onto her hips and ceasing her movements.

Kagome frowned, and InuYasha was ready to nip at that protruding bottom lip that tempted him so. "InuYasha, I can feel how much you want it. Skip the gentlemanly act; I don't give two hoots. I'd be up for anything you want to do." If he wanted to take her doggy style, she'd jump at the chance to be his bitch. If he wanted to push her feet to the wall and take her upside-down, she'd be on her back ready to accept him.

Now, Kagome was no whore, and she did not believe too strongly in the term 'love at first sight', but this man definitely made her feel different. A savage animal arose in her when her stormy-blues connected with his sunset-colored orbs, an animal that could only be contained by him pummeling her tight channel until she was screaming for mercy. All sex-related actions aside, though, she felt as if there was a deeper connection between them. The only times she had seen him were when he made an occasional visit to her village, and even then, she rarely spoke to him. But now, seeing a totally different side of the Lord in which she had followed since birth, she felt as though she had known him for decades.

And this sudden epiphany scared her.

"Kagome..." InuYasha growled out, a final warning to what she was getting herself into. He, too, often scoffed at the saying 'love at first sight', but dammit if this woman wasn't changing his views! Women weren't a necessity to him; he'd bed one here and there, but nothing committal. Kagome, however, was a totally different story. He had always secretly liked her, ever since the first day he had seen her wandering through her village, but never had he had enough courage to talk to her. Now here she was, flushed and sweating beneath him, and the only thing he could think about was how good it would feel to pound her sweet cunt till dusk. And he even thought farther past that, to afterward when he would be allowed the privilege of holding her in his arms. Damn, she felt good in his arms! Like she belonged there...

"InuYasha," she whined when he subconsciously sank his nails into her hips. Oh, hot damn! He had to stop this before he totally lost it.

"Lady Kagome," he whispered, pressing his lips against her ear. She nodded vigorously and raised her lower body to meet his, which he was desperately trying to arch away from her. "Kagome...that's enough." Finally gaining control of his unstable emotions, he pushed himself up to stand in front of her, trying to keep his eyes focused on hers. After all, dominance was what he did best, and this bitch wasn't going to break him that easily by simply flaunting her flawless body. No way in _hell_ was he going to weaken to those standards.

Kagome's gaze was pleading, but he did not give in to her silent demand for him to climb back on top of her. "So...you really want me _that_ badly, huh, Kagome?" he taunted, crossing his arms over his sturdy chest and nailing her to the bed with his most practiced seductive glare. The woman with whom he was speaking nodded her head, knowing very well what InuYasha was trying to do. He was putting her in her place, showing her who was boss, and possibly even punishing her for putting him out of his comfort zone. "You're a sneaky little wench, I'll give you that much, and it turns me on to no end the lengths you'll go to get fucked within an inch of your life by a man you barely know..." He paused, trailing his hot gaze down the length of her body and stopping at various points of interest. "...but I'll have you know that my will is a lot stronger than you first thought, and if you think that I'm going to bed you on command like some sort of wind-up toy, then you are in for a rude awakening, because I'll take you when I'm good and goddamned ready, got it?" Kagome shuddered as the obscenity slipped from his lips, and she moaned as he pressed a hand to her stomach, his thumb hovering over a sensitive spot between her secret folds. "I said, _got it_?"

Kagome squealed as he ground the pad of his thumb against her clitoris, and the part of her brain that wasn't totally numb because of the pleasure was astonished that he had found her pleasure center so quickly. It was like he knew that it was there from the very beginning or something! "Y-yes! I understand! Oh, G-God! You have to stop!"

Content with her affirmation, he submitted to her will, removing his hand from her most intimate region and trailing it back up her body. Cupping her face, he snapped her head so she was looking him in the eyes. "By no means in the world do I intend to take advantage of you, my fair maiden," he whispered soothingly as their eyes met, gold taunting sapphire. Without so much as a word of warning, he pulled Kagome up and off of the bed, holding her as she attempted to steady herself. Yanking the recently-cleaned white sheets off of his bed and wrapping them around her supple body to spare her decency, he swiftly spun her so her back was to him. Patting her bottom twice, he gently nudged her forward until she was in the doorway of the bathroom again. "That pesky mouse won't bother you again, my Lady. I can assure you of that." Kagome gasped as he chuckled. He figured it out.

'_He really is a lot smarter than I gave him credit for..._' she thought fondly as she once again found herself alone in his bathroom. Deciding that she really did need a bath this time, no thoughts of revenge even so much as flashed through her mind as she set to cleaning herself.

**000**

Sighing and shaking his head, InuYasha plopped down on his bed. '_What the hell was that all about?_' he pondered, shaking silvery bangs out of his eyes. Never before had he gotten that close to losing control around a woman. Then again, no woman had ever been that eager and willing and so _goddamn_ wet for him before. Sure, he got around, and it was an understatement to say that he was well-liked by most of the women in his village, but it was so different with Kagome. She was direct with what she wanted, not demure and shy like most of the other women he'd met. She also did not seem to give a rat's ass about his position and occupation, which was a pleasant surprise and an added bonus to her overall attractiveness.

But still, it scared him that he was so close to submitting to her every demand, her every beck and call. Not once had he ever had to so much as even _think_ about situations such as this, and now, here he was, striking a thoughtful pose and wondering what would have happened if he had chosen to give in to both of their sexual urges.

Shaking his head, InuYasha groaned and fell backwards onto his bed, silver hair splaying out everywhere around him. What the hell was going on? He never normally thought this hard about anything, and he certainly never thought this hard about a woman! It was scaring him, but at the same time, it was a welcomed change.

Hearing soft footsteps approach him, he opened his eyes of liquid amber. In front of him, Kagome stood, drying off her long, black hair with the towel he had placed in the bathroom for her. Smiling at her, InuYasha pushed himself off of his bed and walked over to his bureau, snatching up his comb and handing it to her. Without a word, she took it from him and began to brush through her luscious locks.

"What were you thinking so hard about, Master InuYasha?" she asked as he grabbed a red tunic from within the depths of his closet and threw it haphazardly over his muscled chest.

He smiled wider at the pure curiosity in her voice, turning to face her. "Nothing you need to worry yourself about, my Lady. It does not concern you." '_Liar,_' said the little voice inside his head, but he ignored it as he set to making his bed.

The shuffling of cloth was heard behind him, and he knew she was not going to let the subject drop that easily as she walked up to him and hugged him from behind. "You, my dear Lord, are the worst liar I think I have ever met." He went rigid. "But...I'll buy it for now." That last comment caught him slightly off guard, and as he turned in her embrace to look her in the eyes, the door to his bedroom swung open and in stormed Kaede.

"Lord InuYasha, I think that—oh...my apologies, my Lord." The old woman wore a smirk that reeked of unholy thoughts as she caught the two in a rather intimate position, and it took a moment for InuYasha and Kagome to register their positions.

Jumping apart from each other like the other was made of steaming magma, the two younger adults' faces took on the colors of bright red tomatoes. "Oi, Kaede! What did I say about knocking?" InuYasha shouted, arms flailing and temper slowly rising.

"Ye _said_, InuYasha, that I should _consider_ knocking. Well, I considered it, and I've decided that it adds a spark to my step and a burst of energy to my old self when I am allowed the privilege of catching ye in compromising situations!" she shot back, forcefully plucking at his ear in reprimand. "Ye wouldn't deny an old cat her cream, would ye, my _Lord_?" She yanked, hard, and InuYasha whimpered.

In mid giggle, Kagome paused. '_That was possibly the cutest, most submissive sound I __think I've ever heard_,' she concurred in thought, watching as he yelped when Kaede tugged on his abused appendage once more. And, just like that, the giggles came flooding back, although this time little cackles were thrown in as Kaede all but threw InuYasha onto the couch and stomped out of the room quickly.

InuYasha landed on said couch with a rather demeaning THUD. "Gees, what's her problem?" he questioned quietly, then curiously looked upon Kagome—who was still laughing her ass off. Growling, he stood. "The fuck is so funny, wench?"

Wiping the tears away from her beautiful, ocean-blue eyes, she tried to control her erratic breathing so she could answer him. "You remind me of a dog!"

Surprised was not a good enough word to describe how he looked at the moment. "W-what?"

His expression brought on another onslaught of giggles, and she spoke between labored breaths. "When you...whimpered...you reminded me of...a _dog_!"

Scoffing, InuYasha turned from her and pouted, crossing his arms over his chest and grumbling, "Yeah, well, you remind me of a coy little cat, bitch."

"InuYasha!" Kagome laughed, pushing him lightly at the small insult.

Rounding on her, he grabbed her hand before she could fully retract it and pulled her closer to him. "What? If I'm a dog, then calling you a bitch would be a compliment, wouldn't it?" Both went silent after this comment, noticing their close proximity and the way their bodies fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. '_Did I seriously just call her my bitch?_' InuYasha thought briefly before shaking his head and letting her go. "W-we should probably get going, huh? I should show you around the village and...stuff..." '_"and stuff"...very smooth, Mr. Articulate_,' he scolded mentally, then grabbed onto her arm and led her out of his room and out into the daylight.

**I warned you...slightly perverse...and it only gets worse! MWA HA HA! Please review!**

**Next Chapter: InuYasha and Kagome learn more about each other...will they like what they discover about the other's past?**


	5. Chapter 5

**The reason for my uber late update is as follows: my computer blocked both FanFiction AND deviantART from my PC, so I was having trouble figuring out ways to transfer my documents (because my PC has different software instead of Microsoft) Finally, I just ended up copying and pasting in emails to get this done, so I'm sorry if the spacing is weird! I hadn't intended for this to happen, but I'm finding ways to cope! I really hope I don't get bad reviews for being tardy on my updating and spacing and such...to make it up to you, I'll update two chapters at once! GO MULTI-TASKING! But enough apologies, back to the story!**

They walked in silence for a short while, simply reveling in the other's presence. The cool breeze that was rustling the trees did wonders on their hot-and-bothered skin as they made their way through the village. The enjoyable, comfortable silence was immediately shattered when childish squeals materialized behind them, and they turned around just to be thrown to the ground by five or six little bodies.

Kagome squeaked as she landed on her rump, and she almost laughed as she heard InuYasha's compounding yelp when he quickly found himself on his back as well. "YASHA!" a little girl shouted, wrapping her arms around his neck and squeezing hard. "Lord Yasha, do you 'member me?"

Once his eyes became focused, InuYasha smiled warmly. "Why, hello, Teagan! I see you're wearing the flower I gave you." He nodded at the red rose that was curled behind her ear, and she giggled as he flicked it gently.

"Yes, my Lord! Mama says it makes me look growed up!" She modeled it proudly for her friends—who were currently occupying InuYasha's lap—to see, and her adorable, rosy cheeks turned even redder when he laughed and nuzzled her cheek.

"You look beautiful, my Lady. And so very refined," he complimented, then stood, placing each girl back on their feet before turning to Kagome. His smile turned appreciative as he witnessed several young boys from the village handing her a bouquet of flowers, seeming to almost faun over her. '_Looks like I'm not the only one who sees her beauty_,' he thought happily, sliding an arm around her waist and anchoring her to his chest. "You young men aren't trying to steal her away from me, are you?" he admonished lightly, though his smile gave him away.

The boys automatically shook their heads vigorously, bowing in InuYasha's presence. "N-no, my Lord!" the eldest one, Kohaku, stated, his voice cracking. He blushed, scratching the back of his neck, and Kagome smiled sweetly at his slightly embarrassed expression.

"InuYasha! Don't be so mean!" She laid a light, castigating swat to his arm before bending down and kissing Kohaku on the cheek as a thanks for her gift. "Pay him no mind; he's just a stubborn mule, is all."

"Oi! That's offensive!" Ignoring his indignant shout, she smiled as Kohaku's blush increased at her action.

"Th-thank you, Lady Kagome." Bowing respectfully, he ran off, his friends following shortly behind him, teasing him about how lame he had acted in front of the pretty lady.

Kagome's melodic laugh rang through InuYasha's ears, and he soon found himself laughing as well. They continued to laugh lightly for a few more moments before calming down, looking each other in the eye.

"So..." InuYasha began, "...I gave you the gift of a place to stay in my palace...where's my kiss?" he teased light-heartedly.

What he wasn't expecting was for Kagome to take him seriously.

"Oh! That's right!" The young onna leaned up on her tiptoes, supporting her small frame by grasping his shoulders, and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. "Thank you so much, InuYasha. I am forever grateful." She kissed him again, this time just below his ear, though this time her lips hovered a moment longer.

"Kagome..." he whispered, although he had no idea why. Maybe it was a result of the way her warm breath caressed his neck and jawline. Maybe he just liked the way her name sounded. Whatever the reason was, it didn't matter as he drew her into his body, arms snaking around her waist and pulling her flush against him. Her breath hitched, and she slowly wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her chin on his shoulder and closing her eyes. Oh, she could stay in his arms for the extent of her life and not have any worries at all...

Then, of course, because the universe hated him, the serene moment was interrupted once more as he heard Miroku's voice sound from behind him. "Easy there, lovebirds. Save it for later tonight." Growling, InuYasha tore himself from Kagome's warmth and turned around, glaring daggers at the man who dared to disturb his peace of mind.

"Dammit, what do you want, Miroku?" he grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest and tensing up.

The man in question simply rolled his eyes at his best friend, shaking his head and blowing his bangs out of his eyes. "Oh, don't give me that look, InuYasha. Or do I have to remind you that you're in a public place?"

"Seriously, there are children running around out here!" came a voice from behind Miroku, and the young man's wife, Sango, stepped out from behind him with a bread basket hanging from one arm. "Impulsive, as usual, InuYasha." She shook her head in disapproval at the young Lord, then turned her attention to the woman peeking out from behind InuYasha. Her brown eyes widened in shock and recognition. "K-Kagome?"

Kagome's gaze fell on her as she uttered her name, and her blue eyes lit up with sudden remembrance. "Sango!" she shouted joyfully, ignoring InuYasha's angry growl at the fact that she had shouted in his ear. Springing from where she had been standing, she ran to her friend and gave her a hug, almost bursting into tears at finally seeing her again. "Oh, Sango! I thought I'd never see you again!"

"Me too, Kags! Me too!" the older woman shouted equally as loud, paying no attention to the way her husband flinched at the unwelcome clamor. "Gosh, how long has it been?"

"Two years! Two excruciatingly long years!" Kagome rejoiced at being reunited with her best friend, hugging her harder and nuzzling her neck affectionately.

The two women seemed completely oblivious to their surroundings, and that made two certain young men a little more than uncomfortable. "Hey! Mind telling us what's going on?" InuYasha asked bluntly, dark eyebrows pinching down and arms crossing over his chest once more. Miroku mirrored him, and both of their handsome faces contorted into a slightly confused expression.

Kagome and Sango separated from each other, looking at their companions as if forgetting they had been standing there. "Oh, right..." Sango began sheepishly, scratching the back of her neck and blushing cutely. "Miroku, remember when we first met? It was in a village not far from here, about two years ago, if I recall correctly..."

Miroku nodded slowly, his deep, violet eyes coming to life as the wheels in his brain were set in motion. "If my memory serves me accurately, I was accompanying InuYasha on one of his random visits to your village...what was it called, again..."

"Higurashi Village," Kagome piped up, and Miroku nodded, thumping his fist into his open palm in recollection.

"Yes! That's the name! Thank you, young miss...anyways, I remember we met and after that day, I continued to go with InuYasha when he visited..."

"...and then, one day, you asked her to marry you and bear your children; surprisingly, she said yes, and they all lived happily ever after. The end. Now, where does Kagome come into the mix?" InuYasha's attitude was turning sour; he didn't like not knowing what was going on, dammit!

His friend could see that, and he hurried his story along before the young Lord lost his temper. "I was getting to that! Wait...Kagome? This is the Kagome you were telling me about? The one whose family owned the village?" He rested his gaze on his wife, and she nodded slowly, hooking arms with Kagome.

"Uh-huh!" Turning to Kagome, "I can't believe this! How strange is it that after two long years we've finally met up again?"

Kagome nodded her agreement, but her eyes were not on her best friend. Instead, her sapphire orbs connected with those of liquid amber. Luckily, she was happy to see that he wasn't angry. He looked more...ashamed? "InuYasha? What's wrong?"

Shaking himself out of the trance her eyes had cast upon him, he blinked twice before replying with an attentive, "Huh?"

Resisting the urge to giggle, Kagome broke away from Sango and walked closer to InuYasha. "Are you all right? You seem upset about something," she repeated, concern evident in her tone.

He stared at her for a moment longer than he should have, then turned away and shook his head. "It's nothing..." Yet again, he was lying. '_You are a fucking imbecile! That village...her family owned it! And you...you...you completely destroyed it!_' He berated himself mentally, growling at his own idiocy. Then, another thought occurred to him. '_Awe, shit! I killed __every__single__ man in that village! What if I killed her father? Dammit! Stupid, stupid, STUPID!_'

His thoughts were as clear as day to Kagome, and she turned to Sango and Miroku. "If you guys wouldn't mind, I'd like to talk to InuYasha privately...if that's all right with you, I mean."

Sango nodded enthusiastically, also noticing the sudden change in the man's mood. "Of course, Kags! We can catch up later! I want to know _everything _that happened while I was gone!" She winked slyly, indicating that she also wished to know the details of the relationship between Kagome and InuYasha.

Blushing, Kagome nodded. "We'll talk later, then! Bye, love! And it was nice to meet you, Miroku!" Kissing Sango on the cheek and giving Miroku a chaste hug, she watched as they departed, walking hand-in-hand down the dirt roadway and disappearing around a corner. Once she was sure they were out of earshot, Kagome turned to her sulking companion. "Yasha?" she inquired quietly, hoping that the nickname would soften him up a bit. It worked, but he was still much too tense. Sighing, Kagome decided it was best for both of them to just come right out and say it; no need to ignore the elephant in the room. "InuYasha, you didn't kill my father..." His eyes widened at her bluntness, and he turned on his heel to look her in the eye. "...he's been dead for years...actually, pretty much my entire family has passed away due to the war. All that's left is my mother, brother, and grandfather, but they have been moved to a safer village farther away from the battle field." She was happy to see that InuYasha was no longer tense; in fact, he seemed to relax considerably after hearing her statement.

Satisfied that he hadn't done anything that would possibly make her hate him forever, he was about to pull her in for a hug when a question tugged at his thoughts. "Why didn't you go with them? I mean, wouldn't they have taken you with them when they left?"

She sighed, shaking her head and turning away from him to look out beyond the village. "I wanted to stay and aid the people of my village. It's what my father would have wanted, after all. I didn't want to disappoint him by leaving..." A stray tear rolled down her flushed cheek. "...when my mother became ill and we decided to move the entire family away from this place, it was the toughest decision I ever made because I knew I would have to stay behind. You have no idea how upsetting it was to watch my hahaoya-san leave, not knowing if I would ever see her again."

_"We will meet again soon enough, my beloved. I promise."_

InuYasha's mother's words echoed through his head as Kagome fell silent, and he felt tears sting the backs of his eyes at the memory. He wanted to comfort Kagome, oh how he wanted to comfort her. But...he just didn't know how. Especially because she was going through the exact same thing he was.

So, for the moment, he settled for wrapping his arms around her waist and hugging her from behind. Resting his chin on her shoulder, he closed his eyes and willed the urge to cry away. He felt her arms encircle his, and they stood in silence for a while, just listening to the sounds of the hustling and bustling village. Finally, though, he spoke. "I'm sorry, Kagome, and I promise that I'll do everything in my power to bring your mother back to you."

The dam broke, and tears spilled freely from Kagome's eyes as she took in what he said. "Thank you, InuYasha. You don't know how much that means to me," she whispered, grasping onto him tighter as if he were a lifeline.

Smiling into her neck, he opened his eyes and gazed upon the beauty in his arms. '_There is absolutely no doubt in my mind..._' he thought as he brought her closer to him, '_...I'm falling in love._'


	6. Chapter 6

**Here it is, as promised! Chapter 6! This is when things really start to heat up, so pay attention!**

After a long day of meeting and greeting the village folk, Kagome graciously sank onto InuYasha's soft bed, burying her face in one of his pillows and letting out an exhausted groan. InuYasha chuckled as he walked into his room with a towel in one hand and a brush in the other. "Tired?"

An exaggerated nod accompanied by another groan was her answer, and he laughed again before moving about his room to get it ready for another night of sleep. As he set to undressing the bed, Kagome sat up and turned to him, lifting her body when it was required so he could ease the comforter out from under her. "Honestly, InuYasha, there are too many people living in your village! Do you go out and talk to them everyday? Because that's what I would have to do to keep all of their names memorized," she incredulously stated, huffing her bangs out of her face. It was true, though; as they took their merry time acquainting themselves with the village people, InuYasha seemed like he knew all of them on a first name basis. What was more was that it almost looked as if he was actually friends with all of them! That was what astounded Kagome, but then again, InuYasha's personality was that of nonchalance and casualness, which made him pretty easy to befriend. Aside from his obvious temper, he had an all around excellent disposition. '_That's what made it so easy for us to become close..._' A light blush rose to her cheeks at the understatement, but she tamped it down in favor of looking back up at the man who captured her thoughts.

He was currently shrugging out of his tunic, throwing it unceremoniously onto the floor. Noticing her staring, he turned and quirked a dark eyebrow. "Like what you see?"

Another blush spread from her cheeks down into the neckline of her dress as she sheepishly averted her gaze. Then, something clicked in her memory, and upon snapping her head up to look at him again, there was renewed fire in the depths of her azure eyes. "Lady Kikyou sure did." A sly smile possessed her pretty features as pink tinted the man's cheeks, and she realized that she now held the upper hand. "You know, when you went to talk to one of the maids, she made it a point of telling me—in more or less words—to back off." InuYasha crossed his arms over his bare chest and his eyebrows pinched downward.

"Did she, now?" He had left the two girls alone for five minutes! Then again, he should have known Kikyou would try to pull something like that. After all, Kagome was stepping into what she considered 'her territory'. '_Women are so possessive..._' he grumbled in thought. His eyebrows rose into his hairline at his next thought. '_Does Kagome think of me as 'hers'? That'd be...interesting..._' No matter how he sliced it, he found that he didn't at all mind if she did consider him to be hers. In fact, he might even offer reciprocity. Shrugging off the sudden barrage of thoughts and storing them in the recesses of his mind for later, he went back to searching for something for Kagome to wear to bed. Upon finding a shirt of his that was worn thin and hadn't been used in years, he threw it onto the bed. Receiving a questioning look from the beautiful woman, he uttered a simple, "Wear it," before disappearing behind the bathroom flap.

Despite how hard she had been trying to keep it down, a blush formed on her face once more at the offer. She was going to wear one of his shirts to bed! Kagome didn't have the heart to tell him she could sleep in her petticoat; besides, she was sure she would find more relaxation in his soft, warm shirt than in her cold, uncomfortable dress. An added bonus was that his smell would lull her to sleep easily, which was always a welcome change to restlessness.

The onna smiled as she stood, stripping off her dress and going back for her under attire when she felt two warm, strong hands snake around her stomach from behind. "Allow me," she heard InuYasha murmur as his long, nimble fingers rose to where her petticoat tied in the back. With a few flicks of the wrist, he had the entirety of the under dress unfastened, and with slow, deliberate movements, he languidly began to pull it down her person, stopping every so often to caress bare skin. "You smell nice," he whispered in her ear. She shuddered, but did not speak as her dress fell to her waist, his hands being the only things keeping it up. "Kagome...I'm sorry for what Kikyou said to you...I want you to know that we are, in no way, shape or form, together." His lips pressed softly against the juncture of her neck and shoulder, allowing her the pleasure of feeling his warm breath all the way down to her breasts. "Besides...I've got my sights set on somebody else." With that being said, he let go of her petticoat, allowing it to fall to her feet in a ruffle of fabric.

"Is—is that so?" she questioned, hoping her voice hadn't wavered too much. He chuckled, the sound smooth, deep, and rich as it vibrated through his body and into hers.

"That's so. Oh, she's beautiful, too. With the most alluring body..." His calloused digits stroked up her skin, massaging her abundant hips lovingly as he went. "...the most captivating smile..." His fingers passed over her lips, and Kagome fought the urge to let her tongue out to lick the sweet, torturing appendages. "...gorgeous, flowing hair that I just wanna run my fingers through over and over again." She felt his hand brush through her wavy, onyx locks and she shivered. "...but my favorite thing about this all around luscious creature would have to be her eyes." In one swift motion, InuYasha had her facing him. His smoldering, golden eyes bore down into hers with so much intensity; she felt faint! Kagome licked her dry lips and gulped as his head moved forward until their foreheads were pressed firmly together. "They're so stunning...a dazzling shade of indigo." All Kagome could do was nod to keep herself from jumping him as his lips ghosted over hers. "Doesn't she sound like a jewel?"

Nodding once more, Kagome grasped her courage in both hands and leaned in to peck him on the lips as well. "My sights have been set on someone as well. With hair the color of the silver moon and eyes like a sunset over a rocky cliff; the face of an angel and body that promises Hell." She smirked as his eyebrows hitched up into his hairline and let her tongue out to lick his pouty lower lip. "But enough about this God of a man. I think it's about time we turned in, ne?" With a final, chaste press of the lips, she pulled from his embrace and pranced away, leaving a distraught Lord in her wake. Walking over to where he had left the shirt he intended her to wear, Kagome paused, glancing over her shoulder at him. "I could use some help, Master InuYasha."

The man in question snapped out of the daze this fascinating creature always managed to put him in and strode over to her quickly, almost desperately craving the warmth her body gave him once more. "Right away, my Lady," he whispered in her ear, reveling in the shivers that ran down her spine. As he carefully yanked his old tunic over her head and down her body, he payed homage to her neck, placing short, sweet kisses over her pulse point and collarbone while he tugged the shirt in place. Once she was clothed, he turned her around so he could hold her once more and nearly had a heart attack at her appearance. Her dark hair fell down past her shoulders in beautiful waves, contrasting with the enamoring paleness of her skin and looking that much better against his red shirt. Her pink lips were moist and parted, ready to receive him if he so chose. The tunic itself hung across her shoulders rather enticingly, and the low, V-neck of the shirt ran nearly to her belly button, showing off the supple curve of her breasts and making him want to revert back to infancy. "You're gorgeous," he gasped out as he came down on her mouth like a man dying of hunger.

Kagome whimpered in the back of her throat at his rough, passionate display of affection, but did not pull away. There wasn't a muscle in her body that would allow her to pull away, even if she wanted to. And she definitely did _not_ want to! Grabbing hold of InuYasha's forelocks, she dragged him to her in a deeper version of the kiss, mewling when he reciprocated by wrapping his arms around her waist and pulled her firmly against his strong body.

Unfortunately, the lip-lock was cut short due to that annoying thing called breathing, but the two didn't let that pesky little need for air stop them from caressing the other's body lovingly, almost as if they were long lost lovers who had been reacquainted after an extended time of not seeing each other. Kagome sighed appreciatively when InuYasha nibbled softly at her neck, running her fingers through his hair as he hoisted her up so she was nearly his height. She giggled and pressed his head to her breast as they both came down from the euphoric high they had just experienced. "Well...that was...intense..."

He chuckled in agreement, pressing a kiss to the swell of her breasts before placing her back on the ground and looking into her eyes. "I'm sorry, Kagome...I guess I kind of lost control for a second...you just look so..." He couldn't finish his sentence with a good enough word to do her beauty justice. Kagome laughed softly at his speechlessness and brushed her hand over his forehead.

"Are you always this articulate?" Her laugh increased in volume at her small jibe, and he growled playfully before scooping her up into his arms and carrying her over to his bed.

"I usually am quite good with words. You're the only one who can change me into a tongue-tied moron!" Their laughter filled the room as he lowered her onto his crisp, red sheets. Standing there awkwardly for a moment, he sighed audibly before scratching his neck uncomfortably. "Well...um...I guess I'll go get the couch ready...

Kagome looked up at him as she paused in her actions of pulling the comforter up over herself. Was he seriously thinking about sleeping on that cold, lumpy couch for the night? Not while she was around, gosh darn it!

InuYasha watched her face for any signs of what she was feeling, and relief somewhat flooded his face when she looked appalled by the mere idea of him sleeping on the couch. '_Game...Set...Match..._' he thought arrogantly, knowing that his night would be infinitely better if she decided she wanted him to sleep in the bed with her. Waking up with her warmth tucked into his chest and her scent in the air seemed like the best morning one could hope for.

"InuYasha?" Her voice brought him out of his fantasies, and he looked down to see her looking up at him questioningly. By the look on her face, he could only assume she had said something to him.

"Huh?" he asked rather attentively.

She chuckled, the sound sensual and alluring in his ears, and opened a part of the comforter up for him to slip under. "I said that the couch is uncomfortable and you'll freeze to death if you sleep on it, so come sleep in the bed with me," she repeated. He could tell she was wording it very carefully so he wouldn't misinterpret her words as an open invitation to 'sleep with her', and he smirked. She was a smart little wench.

"Whatever you so desire, Lady Kagome." He bowed jokingly and she giggled, making a smile light its way onto his face. Slipping under the covers, he decided to let her come to him as he settled just a few inches away from her. As he reached up and tucked his hands behind his head, all of his muscles tensed, then relaxed immensely as he felt a soft body crawl on top of his, one hand laying gently upon his muscled chest and head resting in the crook of his neck. Sighing contentedly, he brought one of his hands out from under his head and wrapped it around her shoulders, pulling her closer into him.

Kagome sighed, the warmth of her breath setting his nerves to tingling as she snuggled deeper into his body, muttering a slightly incoherent, "'Night, Yasha..." before drifting off into sleep.

'Yasha' chuckled and kissed her forehead softly before whispering, "Goodnight, 'Gome," and following her into a peaceful rest.

**000**

A few hours later, InuYasha felt himself being shaken awake. His breath hitched and he shot up into a sitting position out of reflex, eyes glancing around the room for nothing in particular. The first thing he noticed was that Kagome wasn't settled next to him anymore, and immediately, the worst case scenario swept into his head.

"InuYasha? InuYasha, are you alright?" Her sweet voice from somewhere on the bed beside him instantly calmed his fears, and he turned to where her scent was coming from to find her looking at him curiously, but also with a twinge of sadness. "InuYasha...InuYasha, I need to tell you something..."

Shaking his head and registering the upset look on the girl's face, he opened his arms and pulled her to him in a delicate hug. "What, Kagome? What's wrong? Why do you look so sad?"

Kagome took in a shaky breath, bringing her hands up and twirling a strand of his hair between her index finger. "InuYasha, I got up to go to the restroom earlier and overheard Miss Kaede talking to some of the maids in the hallway." She looked up at him, anguish almost dripping off of her person. "Her husband, Myouga, is on his death bed."

**And the plot thickens...please, I know I've been a bad girl and haven't updated in a while, but I could really use some inspirational reviews to keep this story going! Reviews get ya lots of love from a very happy ANIMElove!**


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